The Cleveland Browns, once again, find themselves in a tough position with their quarterbacks. They started the year with Joe Flacco under center, quickly pivoted to Dillon Gabriel, and are now trying to figure out what they have with Shedeur Sanders.
Fans have already given up on Gabriel after seeing his limitations in his first few starts, and while the jury is still out on Sanders, many want the team to pursue a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Former GM Ran Carthon discussed the conundrum on “CBS Sports HQ” that the Browns will face over the next several months, noting what it would take to get the No. 1 overall pick and secure the top QB prospect.
“If you’re Cleveland, and the Titans are sitting there at the No. 1 pick, and you do have draft capital to move up, how much are you willing to give up to go get Fernando Mendoza?” Carthon said.
Quarterback Questions Define The Offseason
Mendoza is widely viewed as the best quarterback in the class, as he’s taken over the college football landscape with his dominant play at Indiana. He could be a strong fit in this offense, but the Browns have to weigh their options.
Moving up to the No. 1 overall pick would likely mean the Browns giving up both of their first-rounders, which is a position they’d rather not be in. This team has plenty of holes outside of the quarterback position, and they could use the early rounds of the draft to start filling them.
A lot still needs to be decided for this team, and they could be waiting on Sanders’ play over the next few weeks to figure out their draft strategy.
It will be interesting to see what they ultimately decide, and who will suit up under center as the Browns’ QB1 in 2026.
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